Rack switch coupling system

ABSTRACT

A rack switch coupling system includes a plurality of computing devices that are positioned in a rack in a stacked orientation. Each of the plurality of computing devices includes a top surface that corresponds with a first plane associated with that computing device, and a bottom surface that is located opposite that computing device from the top surface and that corresponds with a second plane associated with that computing device. The rack switch coupling system also includes a switch system that is positioned in the rack and that includes respective ports cabled to each of the plurality of computing devices, with each of the respective ports located adjacent the computing device to which it is cabled and between the first plane and the second plane associated with that computing device.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to information handlingsystems, and more particularly to coupling information handling systemsto a switch in an information handling system rack.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

Information handling systems such as, for example, server devices,storage systems, and/or other computing devices, are often provided in arack and coupled to each other and a network using one or more switchdevices that are also provided in that rack. The coupling of computingdevices to switch devices in a rack is accomplished via respectivecables coupled between respective ports on the switch device(s) andrespective ports on the computing devices, and one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure will recognize that as rackshold more and more computing devices, more and more cables may beutilized with that rack to provide those couplings. For example, inconventional racks that hold 4 switch devices positioned adjacent thetop of the rack (i.e., Top of Rack (ToR) switch devices) and more than40 computing devices positioned below those switch devices, upward of160 separate cables may be utilized to couple the switch devices withthose computing devices. In order to ensure efficient access to thecomputing devices and switch devices, cable management techniques areutilized that typically route the cables between the switch devices andthe computing devices along one or more sides of the rack in a group or“bunch”.

Such cable management techniques typically include the utilization ofcable management/routing hardware, as well as the design and planning ofcable routing strategies involving different length cables that allowthe routing of any particular cable between a switch device and anyparticular computing device without providing that cable with a lengththat exceeds the cable routing distance (i.e., cable “slack” that mustthen be managed in some manner.) As such, cables utilized in the rackcan be up to 2-3 feet longer than the shortest distance between theswitch device and computing device they couple together in order toprovide the desired cable routing path, which can result in relativelylong cables being required for at least some of the computing devicesprovided in the rack. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure, the conventional coupling andcable management techniques discussed above provide cabling that canobstruct airflow, activity indicator LEDs, and text on the computingdevices, while making it cumbersome to add and remove cables to and fromthe rack due to the need to plan for and provide the cable routingdiscussed above. Furthermore, tracing any particular cable between aswitch device and a computing device is difficult due to that cablebeing “bunched” or otherwise routed in a group of cables that run alonga side of the rack, with the cabling between a switch device andcomputing devices that are positioned near the bottom of the rack (i.e.,opposite the rack from that switch device) presenting particular cabletracing difficulties.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a rack switch couplingsystem that addresses the issues discussed above.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS)includes a chassis; a processing system that is located in the chassis;a memory system that is located in the chassis, coupled to theprocessing system, and that includes instructions that, when executed bythe processing system, cause the processing system to perform switchingoperations; and a communication system that is located in the chassis,coupled to the processing system, and that includes a plurality ofports, wherein the chassis is configured to be positioned in a rackincluding a plurality of computing devices in a stacked orientation suchthat each of the plurality of ports is located adjacent a respectivecomputing device and between a first plane corresponding to a topsurface of that computing device and a second plane corresponding to abottom surface of that computing device that is opposite the topsurface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of an InformationHandling System (IHS).

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a conventionalrack switch coupling system.

FIG. 3A is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switchsystem that may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3B is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of the switchsystem of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a switch systemthat may provide the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method forcoupling a switch device in a rack.

FIG. 11A is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of the switchsystem of FIGS. 3A and 3B located in a rack during the method of FIG. 10to provide the rack switch coupling system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11B is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of some of theports on the switch system of FIG. 11A located respective server devicesprovided in the rack of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of the switchsystem of FIGS. 3A and 3B coupled to server devices in a rack during themethod of FIG. 10 to provide the rack switch coupling system of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 12B is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of some of theports on the switch system of FIG. 11A coupled to respective serverdevices provided in the rack of FIG. 12A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system mayinclude any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operableto compute, calculate, determine, classify, process, transmit, receive,retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, communicate, manifest,detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or otherpurposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personalcomputer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, mobile device(e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone), server (e.g.,blade server or rack server), a network storage device, or any othersuitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality,and price. The information handling system may include random accessmemory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/orother types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of theinformation handling system may include one or more disk drives, one ormore network ports for communicating with external devices as well asvarious input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse,touchscreen and/or a video display. The information handling system mayalso include one or more buses operable to transmit communicationsbetween the various hardware components.

In one embodiment, IHS 100, FIG. 1, includes a processor 102, which isconnected to a bus 104. Bus 104 serves as a connection between processor102 and other components of IHS 100. An input device 106 is coupled toprocessor 102 to provide input to processor 102. Examples of inputdevices may include keyboards, touchscreens, pointing devices such asmouses, trackballs, and trackpads, and/or a variety of other inputdevices known in the art. Programs and data are stored on a mass storagedevice 108, which is coupled to processor 102. Examples of mass storagedevices may include hard discs, optical disks, magneto-optical discs,solid-state storage devices, and/or a variety other mass storage devicesknown in the art. IHS 100 further includes a display 110, which iscoupled to processor 102 by a video controller 112. A system memory 114is coupled to processor 102 to provide the processor with fast storageto facilitate execution of computer programs by processor 102. Examplesof system memory may include random access memory (RAM) devices such asdynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), solid state memorydevices, and/or a variety of other memory devices known in the art. Inan embodiment, a chassis 116 houses some or all of the components of IHS100. It should be understood that other buses and intermediate circuitscan be deployed between the components described above and processor 102to facilitate interconnection between the components and the processor102.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a conventional rack switchcoupling system 200 is illustrated for purposes of discussion of some ofthe benefits of the rack switch coupling system of the presentdisclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conventional rack switchcoupling system 200 may include a rack 202 having a top wall 202 a, abottom wall 202 b that is located opposite the rack 202 from the topwall, and a pair of opposing side walls 202 c and 202 d that extendsbetween the top wall 202 a and the bottom wall 202 b. As would beunderstood by one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure, the top wall 202 a, the bottom wall 202 b, and the sidewalls 202 c and 202 d of the rack 202 may define a device housingbetween them, and the device housing illustrated FIG. 2 is notillustrated to scale in order to allow for an embodiment of aconventional cable routing technique to be clearly depicted. Forexample, FIG. 2 illustrates the device housing provided by the rack 202housing a switch device 204 and a plurality of server devices 206 a, 206b, 206 c, 206 d, 206 e, 206 f, 206 g, 206 h, 206 i, and 206 j in astacked orientation (i.e., with the switch device 204 positionedadjacent the top wall 202 a of the rack 202, the server device 206 apositioned adjacent and below the switch device 204, the server device206 a positioned adjacent and below the server device 206 b, and up tothe server device 206 j positioned adjacent the bottom wall 202 j of therack 202), and one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure will appreciate that the switch device 204 and server devices206 a-206 j typically span the width of the rack 202 (e.g., from theside wall 202 c to the side wall 202 d), rather than the rack providingthe additional space in the device housing that is illustrated in FIG. 2as including cabling, discussed below.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conventional rack switch coupling system200 couples each of the server devices 206 a-j to the switch device 204via at least one respective cable (e.g., one or more cables 208 aconnected to ports on the server device 206 a and the switch device 204,one or more cables 208 b connected to ports on the server device 206 band the switch device 204, one or more cables 208 c connected to portson the server device 206 c and the switch device 204, one or more cables208 d connected to ports on the server device 206 d and the switchdevice 204, one or more cables 208 e connected to ports on the serverdevice 206 e and the switch device 204, one or more cables 208 fconnected to ports on the server device 206 f and the switch device 204,one or more cables 208 g connected to ports on the server device 206 gand the switch device 204, one or more cables 208 h connected to portson the server device 206 h and the switch device 204, one or more cables208 i connected to ports on the server device 206 i and the switchdevice 204, and one or more cables 208 j connected to ports on theserver device 206 j and the switch device 204.) Furthermore, asillustrated in FIG. 2, each of those cables 208 a-208 j may be routedfrom the port on the server device to which it is connected and to theside wall 202 c, then adjacent to and along the side wall 202 c towardsthe top wall 202 a, and then back towards the port on the switch device204 to which it is connected. Furthermore, the portions of the cablesthat are routed along the side wall 202 c may be bundled together usinga variety of cable management hardware.

As discussed above, conventional rack switch coupling systems like thatillustrated in FIG. 2 require the design and planning of cable routingstrategies involving different length cables that allow the routing ofany particular cable between the switch device and any of the serverdevices 206 a-206 j without providing that cable with a length or“slack” that exceeds the cable routing distance and that then must bemanaged in some manner (e.g., the cable(s) 208 j connecting the serverdevice 206 a to the switch device 204 are relatively much shorter thanthe cable(s) 208 a connecting the server device 206 j to the switchdevice 204) As such, the cables 208 a-208 j utilized in the rack 200 canbe up to 2-3 feet longer than the shortest distance between the switchdevice and server device they couple together in order to provide thecable routing path along the side wall 202 c, which can result inrelatively long cables 208 a being required for the server devices(e.g., the server device 206 j) provided in the rack 200 adjacent itsbottom wall 202 b. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure, the conventional coupling andcable management techniques illustrated in FIG. 2 make it cumbersome toadd and remove cables to and from the rack 202 due to the need to planfor and provide the cable routing discussed above, and tracing anyparticular cable between a switch device and a server device isdifficult due to that cable being “bunched” or otherwise routed in thegroup of cables that run along the side wall 202 c of the rack 202, withthe cabling 208 a between the switch device 204 and server device 206 jpositioned near the bottom wall 202 b of the rack 202 (i.e., oppositethe rack 202 from the switch device 204) presenting particular cabletracing difficulties.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, an embodiment of a switch system 300is illustrated that may provide the rack switch coupling system of thepresent disclosure. As such, the switch system 300 may be provided bythe IHS 100 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1 and/or may includesome or all of the components of the IHS 100, and in specific examples,may provide any of a variety of switching functionality that would beapparent to one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure. However, while illustrated and discussed as a switch systemproviding switching functionality, one of skill in the art in possessionof the present disclosure will recognize that the functionality of theswitch system 300 discussed below may be provided by other devices thatare configured to operate similarly as the switch system 300 discussedbelow. In the illustrated embodiment, the switch system 300 includes achassis 302 that houses or supports the components of the switch system300, only some of which are illustrated and discussed below. In someexamples, the chassis 302 may include a plurality of chassis walls thatdefine a chassis enclosure that houses the components of the switchsystem 300. However, in other examples, the chassis 302 may include acircuit board (e.g., a motherboard) that supports the components of theswitch system 300. Furthermore, as discussed below, the chassis 302 mayinclude structures that support modular switch devices that include thecomponents of the switch system 300. As such, one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure will appreciate that the chassis302 of the switch system 300 may be provided in a variety of mannersthat will fall within the scope of the present disclosure as well.

For example, the chassis 302 may house or support a processing system304 (e.g., one or more of the processors 102 discussed above withreference to FIG. 1, one or more Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs),one or more Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), timing modules,switching fabrics, and/or other processing systems components that wouldbe apparent to one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure.) The chassis 302 may also house or support a memory system306 (e.g., one or more flash memory devices, one or more Dynamic RandomAccess Memory (DRAM) devices, and/or other memory system components thatwould be apparent to one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure) that is coupled to the processing system 304 andthat may include instructions that, when executed by the processingsystem 304, cause the processing system 304 to perform the switchingoperations and/or other functionality of the switching systems discussedbelow. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the switch system 300 may also houseor support one or more other switch component(s) 308 that may includefans or other air moving devices, storage systems, PHYsical layerdevices (PHYs), and/or other switch components that would be apparent toone of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure.

The chassis 302 may also house or support a communication system 310that is coupled to the processing system 304 and that may be provided bya Network Interface Controller (NIC), wireless communication systems(e.g., BLUETOOTH®, Near Field Communication (NFC) components, WiFicomponents, etc.), and/or any other communication components that wouldbe apparent to one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure. As such, the communication system 310 may include aplurality of ports 310 a, 310 b, 310 c, 310 d, 310 e, 310 f, and up to310 n. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the ports 310 a-310 n may bepositioned along a height A of the chassis 302 in a spaced-apart,stacked orientation relative to each other, with the height A providedas approximately equal to the height of a rack (e.g., the rack 202illustrated in FIG. 2) in which the switch system 300 will be used, andthe spacing and location of the ports 310 a-310 n provided such thateach respective port is located adjacent a corresponding server device(e.g., the server devices 206 a-206 j) in the rack in which the switchsystem 300 will be used. However, as discussed below, the switch system300 illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B may include a chassis that extendsonly along a portion of a height the rack in which it will be used(e.g., along half of the height of that rack, along one-third of theheight of that rack, along a quarter of the height of that rack, etc.)while remaining with the scope of the present disclosure as well.Furthermore, while a specific switch system 300 has been illustrated,one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willrecognize that switch systems (or other devices and/or systems operatingaccording to the teachings of the present disclosure in a manner similarto that described below for the switch system 300) may include a varietyof components and/or component configurations for providing conventionalswitching device functionality, as well as the functionality discussedbelow, while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure aswell.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a switch system 400 providing one configurationof the switch system of the present disclosure is illustrated. As such,the switch system 400 may be provided by the switch system 300 discussedabove with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, and/or may include some or allof the components of the switch system 300. As such, the switch system400 includes a chassis 402 that may be substantially similar to thechassis 302 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Theembodiment of the switch system illustrated in FIG. 4 illustrates howswitch system components 404 a, 404 b, 404 c, 404 d, and up to 404 e(e.g., processing systems such as ASICs, switching fabrics, timingmodules, FPGAs, CPLDs, etc.; memory systems such as flash memorydevices, DRAM devices, etc.; and/or other switch components known in theart) may be provided in and/or on the chassis 402 in a linear,distributed configuration that allows the switch system 400 to span theheight of the rack in which it will be used.

As such, in some examples, processing system components included in theswitch system 400 such as switching ASICs may be positioned in adistributed orientation on the chassis 402. For example, in a switchsystem 400 that includes a single switching ASIC, that switching ASICmay be substantially centrally located on the chassis 402 (e.g., asillustrated for switch system component 404 c in FIG. 4.) However, in aswitch system with two switching ASICs, a first switching ASIC may belocated one-quarter along the height of the chassis 402 (e.g., asillustrated for switch system component 404 b in FIG. 4), and a secondswitching ASIC may be located three-quarters along the height of thechassis 402 (e.g., as illustrated for switch system component 404 d inFIG. 4). Furthermore, FPGA's, CPLDs, switching fabrics, timing modules,flash devices, DRAM devices, and/or other switch components may bedistributed along the height of the chassis 402 in any manner thatallows for the switching functionality described herein, and one ofskill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will appreciatethat fan device placement in the chassis 402 of the switch system 400may be optimized by positioning those fan devices immediately adjacentthe switch components that need cooling (e.g., the ASIC(s) discussedabove), rather than having those fan devices provide airflow overseveral switch components that heat that airflow prior to it reachingthe switch component(s) that are most in need of cooling (as is done inconventional switch systems.) As will be appreciated by one of skill inthe art in possession of the present disclosure, the communicationsystem and its ports (e.g., similar to the communication system 310 andports 310 a-310 n discussed above with reference to FIG. 3) are notillustrated in FIG. 4, but may be positioned along a height of thechassis 402 in a spaced-apart, stacked orientation relative to eachother in substantially the same manner as discussed above with referenceto FIGS. 3A and 3B and, as discussed below, the teachings of the presentdisclosure may be utilized to couple the switching components 404 a-404e to ports 310 a-310 n (e.g., particularly for ports that are relativelyfar away from the switch components on the chassis 402.)

Referring now to FIG. 5, a switch system 500 providing one configurationof the switch system of the present disclosure is illustrated. As such,the switch system 500 may be provided by the switch system 300 discussedabove with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, and/or may include some or allof the components of the switch system 300. As such, the switch system500 includes a chassis 502 that may be substantially similar to thechassis 302 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Theembodiment of the switch system illustrated in FIG. 5 illustrates howswitch system components 504 a, 504 b, 504 c, 504 d, and up to 504 e(e.g., processing systems such as ASICs, switching fabrics, timingmodules, FPGAs, CPLDs, etc.; memory systems such as flash memorydevices, DRAM devices, etc.; and/or other switch components known in theart) may be provided in and/or on the chassis 502 in a centralizedconfiguration that allows the switch system 500 to span the height ofthe rack in which it will be used.

As such, in some examples, processing system components included in theswitch system 500 such as switching ASICs may be positioned in acentralized orientation on the chassis 502 and relatively close to eachother. Furthermore, FPGA's, CPLDs, switching fabrics, timing modules,flash devices, DRAM devices, and/or other switch components may bepositioned in the centralized orientation on the chassis 402 andrelatively closely to each other in any manner that allows for theswitching functionality described herein. As will be appreciated by oneof skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure, thecommunication system and its ports (e.g., similar to the communicationsystem 310 and ports 310 a-310 n discussed above with reference to FIG.3) are not illustrated in FIG. 4, but may be positioned along a heightof the chassis 402 in a spaced-apart, stacked orientation relative toeach other in substantially the same manner as discussed above withreference to FIGS. 3A and 3B and, as discussed below, the teachings ofthe present disclosure may be utilized to couple the switchingcomponents 504 a-504 e to ports 310 a-310 n (e.g., particularly forports that are relatively far away from the switch components on thechassis 402.) As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure, combinations of the distributedand centralized switch component configurations discussed above withreference to FIGS. 4 and 5 may be provided in the switch system of thepresent disclosure while remaining within the scope of the presentdisclosure as well.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a switch system chassis 600 is illustrated thatmay provide for a modular configuration of the switch system of thepresent disclosure. As such, the switch system chassis 600 may beutilized with multiple switch systems 300 discussed above with referenceto FIGS. 3A and 3B. For example, the switch system chassis 600 includesa base 602 that defines a plurality of modular switch device housings604 a, 604 b, 604 c, and up to 604 d, each of which may be configured tohouse a modular switch device that may be provided by embodiments of theswitch system 300 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Theembodiment of the switch system chassis 600 illustrated in FIG. 6illustrates how a switch system chassis may be provided that housesmultiple modular switch devices that each may include a communicationsystem and its ports (e.g., similar to the communication system 310 andports 310 a-310 n discussed above with reference to FIG. 3) that, whenthe module switch devices are positioned in the respective modularswitch device housings 604 a-604 d, are positioned along a height of thebase 602 in a spaced-apart, stacked orientation relative to each otherin substantially the same manner as discussed above with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B.

As such, multiple modular switch devices (i.e., multiple switch systems300 that each include a height that spans some portion of the height ofthe rack they will be used in) may be stacked using the switch systemchassis 600, and in some embodiments may include modular switch deviceswith the same capabilities/functionality, while in other embodiments mayinclude different capabilities/functionality (e.g., modular switchdevices provided according to the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3an-2006 standard (10GBASE-T), modularswitch devices provided according to the IEEE 802.3ab standard(1000BASE-T), modular switch devices with switch expander ports, modularswitch devices with Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP/SFP+)capabilities/functionality, etc.) Thus, one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure will appreciate that, in someembodiments, the switch system chassis 600 may include couplings and/orconnections between the modular switch devices housings 604 a-604 d(e.g., via a backplane in the switch system chassis 600) that may allowthe modular switch devices provided therein to communication with eachother.

Referring now to FIG. 7, an embodiment of a switch system 700 isillustrated that includes processing system/port coupling features thatmay be provided in any of the switch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600 (orcombinations thereof) discussed above. The inventors of the presentdisclosure have found that the height of the switch system of thepresent disclosure can present some difficulties in the transmission ofsignals between ports on the switch system and the processing system(s)provided in the switch system (e.g., particularly with regard to thetransmission of such signals via traces on a circuit board that canexperience degradation when transmitted relatively long distances), andthus the switch system 700 provides an embodiment that allows for thetransmission of such signals via silicon photonics. The embodiment ofthe switch system 700 includes a chassis 702 that may be the any of thechassis 302, 402, 502, and 602 discussed above with regards to theswitch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600, respectively. The chassis 702houses or supports a processing system 704 that may be the processingsystem 304 provided with the switch system 300, and a port 706 that maybe any of the ports 310 a-310 n in the communication system 310 providedwith the switch system 300. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a cable 708 (e.g.,a fibre optic cable) may be coupled to the port 706 (e.g., a fibre opticport) via a cable connector 708 a (e.g., a fibre optic connector), andone of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willappreciate that the cable 708 may be connected on an opposing,unillustrated end to a server device as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, a transceiver 710 is coupled to the port706 and may be provided by, for example, a pass-through transceiver thatis configured to receive optical signals transmitted via the cable 708and the port 706, and pass those optical signals to an input coupler712. The input coupler 712 may couple the transceiver 710 to an optionaloptical modulator 714, and may be configured to transmit the opticalsignals provided by the transceiver 710 to the optional opticalmodulator 714. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure, the optional optical modulator 714may be configured to modulate the optical signals (e.g., to overcomeinterference issues when the signal is one of many that are beingtransmitted along a common optical transmission medium) and transmit theoptical signals via an optical transmission medium such as the opticalwaveguide 716 illustrated in FIG. 7. However, the optional opticalmodulator 714 may be removed, and the input coupler 712 may provideoptical signals directly to the optical waveguide 716 while remainingwithin the scope of the present disclosure as well.

The optical waveguide 716 extends between the optional optical modulator714 and an optional optical demodulator 718 that maybe locatedrelatively physical close to the processing system 704 in the chassis702, and that is configured to receive optical signals transmitted viathe optical waveguide 716 and demodulate those optical signals in theevent they have been modulated by the optional optical modulator 714. Assuch, the optional optical demodulator 708 may be removed from theswitch system 700 while remaining within the scope of the presentdisclosure as well. A photoelectric converter 720 is coupled to theoptical demodulator 718 (or directly to the optical waveguide 716 in theevent the optional optical demodulator 718 is not present), and may beconfigured to convert the optical signals received from the opticaldemodulator 718 to electrical signals, and provide those electricalsignals to the processing system 704 for processing. While one of skillin the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognize thatthe processing system 704 is illustrated as receiving and processingelectrical signals, a processing system that is configured to processoptical signals may replace the processing system 704 in the switchsystem 700, allowing from the removal of the photoelectrical converter720 and the receiving of optical signals by that processing systemdirectly from the optical demodulator 718 or the optical waveguide 716.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an embodiment of a switch system 800 isillustrated that includes processing system/port coupling features thatmay be provided in any of the switch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600discussed above. As discussed above, the inventors of the presentdisclosure have found that the height of the switch system of thepresent disclosure can present some difficulties in the transmission ofsignals between ports on the switch system and the processing systemprovided in the switch system (e.g., particularly with regard to thetransmission of such signals via traces on a circuit board that canexperience degradation when transmitted relatively long distances), andthus the switch system 800 provides an embodiment that allows for thetransmission of such signals via silicon photonics. The embodiment ofthe switch system 800 includes a chassis 802 that may be the any of thechassis 302, 402, 502, and 602 discussed above with regards to theswitch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600, respectively. The chassis 802houses or supports a processing system 804 that may be the processingsystem 304 provided with the switch system 300, and a port 806 that maybe any of the ports 310 a-310 n in the communication system 310 providedwith the switch system 300. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a cable 808 (e.g.,an Ethernet cable) may be coupled to the port 806 (e.g., an Ethernetport) via a cable connector 808 a (e.g., an Ethernet connector), and oneof skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willappreciate that the cable 808 may be connected on an opposing,unillustrated end to a server device as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, an electric-to-photo converter 810 may becoupled to the port 806 and configured to convert electrical signalsreceived via the cable 808 and from the port 806 to optical signals, andprovide those optical signals to an input coupler 812. The input coupler812 may couple the electric-to-photo converter 810 to an optionaloptical modulator 814, and may be configured to transmit the opticalsignals received from the electric-to-photo converter 810 to theoptional optical modulator 814. As will be appreciated by one of skillin the art in possession of the present disclosure, the opticalmodulator 814 may be configured to modulate the optical signals (e.g.,to overcome interference issues when the signal is one of many that arebeing transmitted along a common optical transmission medium) andtransmit the optical signals via an optical transmission medium such asthe optical waveguide 816 illustrated in FIG. 8. However, the optionaloptical modulator 814 may be removed, and the input coupler 812 mayprovide optical signals directly to the optical waveguide 816 whileremaining within the scope of the present disclosure as well.

The optical waveguide 816 extends between the optional optical modulator814 and an optional optical demodulator 818 that is located relativelyphysically close to the processing system 804, and that is configured toreceive optical signals transmitted via the optical waveguide 816 anddemodulate those optical signals in the event they have been modulatedby the optional optical modulator 814. As such, the optional opticaldemodulator 808 may be removed from the switch system 800 whileremaining within the scope of the present disclosure as well. Aphotoelectric converter 820 is coupled to the optical demodulator 818(or directly to the optical waveguide 816 in the event the optionaloptical demodulator 818 is not present) and configured to convert theoptical signals received from the optical demodulator 818 to electricalsignals, and provide those electrical signals to the processing system804 for processing. While one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure will recognize that the processing system 804 isillustrated as receiving and processing electrical signals, a processingsystem that is configured to process optical signals may replace theprocessing system 804 in the switch system 800, allowing from theremoval of the photoelectrical converter 820 and the receiving ofoptical signals by that processing system directly from the opticaldemodulator 818 or the optical waveguide 816.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an embodiment of a switch system 900 isillustrated that includes processing system/port coupling features thatmay be provided in any of the switch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600discussed above. As discussed above, the inventors of the presentdisclosure have found that the height of the switch system of thepresent disclosure can present some difficulties in the transmission ofsignals between ports on the switch system and the processing systemprovided in the switch system (e.g., particularly with regard to thetransmission of such signals via traces on a circuit board that canexperience degradation when transmitted relatively long distances), andthus the switch system 900 provides an embodiment that allows for thetransmission of such signals via silicon photonics. The embodiment ofthe switch system 900 includes a chassis 902 that may be the any of thechassis 302, 402, 502, and 602 discussed above with regards to theswitch systems 300, 400, 500, and 600, respectively. The chassis 902houses or supports a processing system 904 that may be the processingsystem 304 provided with the switch system 300, and a port 906 that maybe any of the ports 310 a-310 n in the communication system 310 providedwith the switch system 300. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a cable 908 (e.g.,a fibre optic cable) may be coupled to the port 906 (e.g., a fibre opticport) via a cable connector 908 a (e.g., a fibre optic connector), andone of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willappreciate that the cable 908 may be connected on an opposing,unillustrated end to a server device as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, a transceiver 909 couples the cable 908to the port 906, and may be configured to convert optical signalstransmitted by the cable 908 to electrical signals, and provide thoseelectrical signals to the port 906. An electric-to-photo converter 910may be coupled to the port 906 and configured to convert the electricalsignals received from the port 806 to optical signals, and provide thoseoptical signals to an input coupler 912. The input coupler 912 maycouple the electric-to-photo converter 910 to an optional opticalmodulator 914, and may be configured to transmit the optical signalsreceived from the electric-to-photo converter 910 to the optionaloptical modulator 914. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure, the optical modulator 914 maybe configured to modulate the optical signals (e.g., to overcomeinterference issues when the signal is one of many that are beingtransmitted along a common optical transmission medium) and transmit theoptical signals via an optical transmission medium such as the opticalwaveguide 916 illustrated in FIG. 9. However, the optional opticalmodulator 914 may be removed, and the input coupler 912 may provideoptical signals directly to the optical waveguide 916 while remainingwithin the scope of the present disclosure as well.

The optical waveguide 916 extends between the optional optical modulator914 and an optional optical demodulator 918 that is located relativelyclose to the processing system 904, and that is configured to receiveoptical signals transmitted via the optical waveguide 916 and demodulatethose optical signals in the event they have been modulated by theoptional optical modulator 914. As such, the optional opticaldemodulator 908 may be removed from the switch system 900 whileremaining within the scope of the present disclosure as well. Aphotoelectric converter 920 is coupled to the optical demodulator 918(or directly to the optical waveguide 916 in the event the optionaloptical demodulator 918 is not present) and configured to convert theoptical signals received from the optical demodulator 918 to electricalsignals, and provide those electrical signals to the processing system904 for processing. While one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure will recognize that the processing system 904 isillustrated as receiving and processing electrical signals, a processingsystem that is configured to process optical signals may replace theprocessing system 904 in the switch system 900, allowing from theremoval of the photoelectrical converter 920 and the receiving ofoptical signals by that processing system directly from the opticaldemodulator 918 or the optical waveguide 916.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure, the switch system of the present disclosure may beprovided in racks that can exceed six feet in height, and thus thephysical distance between any processing system in the switch system andany particular port in the switch system may be several feet. As suchsignal integrity issues may exists if signals are transmitted within theswitch system using traditional processing system/port coupling methods(e.g., traces on a motherboard), particular with regard to signalstransmitted by a processing system to the ports that are furthest fromthat processing system, and the silicon photonic techniques describedabove with reference to the switch systems 700, 800, and 900 may beprovided in order to couple at least some of the ports in the switchsystem to the processing systems in that switch system.

As such, the switch system of the present disclosure may be providedwith a motherboard and traces coupling at least one of its processingsystems to at least some ports that are close enough to that processingsystem so as to not introduce signal integrity issues, while the siliconphotonic techniques discussed above may be utilized to couple thatprocessing system to at least some of the other ports (e.g., with theoptical waveguide extending along the majority of the distance betweenthe port and the processing system to transit signals between the two.)However, the silicon photonic techniques described herein may couple allof the ports on the switch system to the processing systems in thatswitch system while remaining within the scope of the present disclosureas well. Further still, one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure will appreciate that the optical transmission mediumdescribed above with respect to the switch systems 700, 800, and 900(e.g., the optical waveguides 616, 716, and 816) may be provided foreach processing system/port connection, or provided for multipleprocessing system/port connections (e.g., while using the modulationdescribed above to distinguish optical signals that are to be providedfor different ports.) As such, a wide variety of modification andcombination of the embodiments discussed above is envisioned as fallingwithin the scope of the present disclosure.

In a specific example utilizing a 42 U rack that is approximately 6 feettall, an embodiment of the switch system of the present disclosure maybe 6 feet tall as well, with a switching ASIC and/or other switchingcomponents located centrally along its height, providing approximately 3feet of distance between that switching ASIC and the ports located nearthe top wall and bottom wall of the rack. As such, approximately 3 footlong optical waveguides may be utilized in the switch system to couplethe switching ASIC to those ports. However, when redundant switchingASICs are provided in the switch system, the length of the opticalwaveguides may be reduced. For example, in a two switching ASIC switchsystem, a first switching ASIC may be located 18 inches/1.5 feet fromthe top wall of the rack, and a second switching ASIC may be located 18inches/¼ feet from the bottom of the rack, requiring 18 inch/1.5 footlong optical waveguides for the ports further from each of thoseswitching ASICs.

Referring now to FIG. 10, an embodiment of a method 1000 for coupling aswitch device in a rack is illustrated. As discussed below, the systemsand methods of the present disclosure provide a switch system thatextends at least partially along the height of a rack, with ports onthat switch system located adjacent each computing device in that rack,eliminating the need for any substantial cable routing of the cablesbetween those computing devices and ports and the issues associated withsuch cable routing. For example, a rack may include a plurality ofcomputing devices that are positioned in the rack in a stackedorientation, with each of the computing devices including a top surfacethat corresponds with a first plane associated with that computingdevice, and a bottom surface that is located opposite that computingdevice from the top surface and that corresponds with a second planeassociated with that computing device. A switch system positioned in therack may include respective ports cabled to each of the plurality ofcomputing devices, with each of the respective ports located adjacentthe computing device to which it is cabled and between the first planeand the second plane associated with that computing device. As will beappreciated by one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure, the switch system of the present disclosure greatly reducesthe length of the cables required to couple the computing devices to theswitch system, thus reducing airflow issues introduce by conventionalcables, reducing the difficulties in adding/removing computing devicesto the rack and/or tracing the connection between the switch device andany particular computing device, and providing other benefits that willbe apparent to one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure.

The method 1000 begins at block 1002 where a switch system is providedin a rack with computing devices such that each port on the switchsystem is located adjacent a respective computing device and betweenfirst and second planes corresponding to that computing device. In anembodiment, at block 1002, the switch system 300 discussed above withreference to FIGS. 3A and 3B may be provided in a rack including aplurality of computing devices. With reference to FIG. 11, an embodimentof a rack 1100 is illustrated that includes a plurality of serverdevices 1102 a, 1102 b, 1102 c, 1102 d, 1102 e, 1102 f, 1102 g, 1102 h,1102 i, 1102 j, 1102 k, 1102 l, 1102 m, and 1102 n. However, whileillustrated and discussed as including server devices 1102 a-1102 n, oneof skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure willappreciate that the rack 1100 may include storage systems and/or othercomputing devices while remaining within the scope of the presentdisclosure as well. In some embodiments, the rack 1100 may be aconventional rack that is similar to the rack 200 discussed above withreference to FIG. 2, but with modifications necessary to couple with theswitch system of the present disclosure. For example, many conventionalracks are 1070 millimeters deep and 600 millimeters wide, and one ofskill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will appreciatehow the switch system of the present disclosure may be designed to fitin such racks (or modified versions of such racks.)

In other examples, the rack 1100 may be provided by newer rack designsthat are being developed (e.g., NetShelter SX series racks availablefrom Schneider Electric of Rueil-Malmaison, France) to provideadditional space (both front-to-back and side-to-side) in the rack,offering up to 1200 millimeters of depth and/or up to 750 millimeters ofwidth, and one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure will appreciate how the switch system of the presentdisclosure may be designed to fit in such racks. However, while a fewspecific examples have been provided, one of skill in the art inpossession of the present disclosure will appreciate that the rack 1100may be provided to couple with the switch system of the presentdisclosure in a variety of manners that will fall within the scope ofthe present disclosure as well. As such, the rack 1100 may includefeatures for coupling to and securing both the server devices 1102a-1102 n and the switch system of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the switch system 300 provided in the rack1100 and, as can be seen in the illustrated embodiment, the switchsystem 300 may span the entire height of the rack 1100, with each port310 a-310 n on the switch system 300 located adjacent a respectiveserver device 1102 a-n. For example, FIG. 11B illustrates how the serverdevice 1102 d may include a top surface 1104 that corresponds a topplane 1104 a for that server device 1102 d, and a bottom surface 1106that corresponds to a bottom plane 1106 a for that server device 1102 d.Similarly, FIG. 11B illustrates how the server device 1102 e may includea top surface 1108 that corresponds a top plane 1108 a for that serverdevice 1102 e, and a bottom surface 1110 that corresponds to a bottomplane 1110 a for that server device 1102 e. Similarly as well, FIG. 11Billustrates how the server device 1102 f may include a top surface 1112that corresponds a top plane 1112 a for that server device 1102 f, and abottom surface 1114 that corresponds to a bottom plane 1114 a for thatserver device 1102 f.

As such, in some embodiments, the ports 310 a-310 n on the switch system300 being located adjacent a respective server device 1102 a-1102 n inthe rack 1100 may include each of those ports being located between thetop and bottom planes for that respective server device. For example,FIG. 11B illustrates the port 310 d on the switch system 300 locatedbetween the top plane 1104 a and the bottom plane 1006 a for the serverdevice 1102 d, the port 310 e on the switch system 300 located betweenthe top plane 1108 a and the bottom plane 1010 a for the server device1102 e, and the port 310 f on the switch system 300 located between thetop plane 1112 a and the bottom plane 1014 a for the server device 1102f, and one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosurewill appreciate that the remaining ports on the switch system 300 may belocated adjacent their respective server devices in the rack 1100 in asimilar manner as well. However, while the adjacency of the ports andtheir respective computing devices is described herein based on top andbottom planes associated with those computing devices, one of skill inthe art in possession of the present disclosure will appreciate thatport/computing device adjacency that provides the benefits of thepresent disclosure may be defined in a variety of other manners thatwill fall within the scope of the present disclosure as well.

The method 1000 then proceeds to block 1004 where respective cables areconnected to each port on the switch system and the respective computingdevice located adjacent that port. In an embodiment, at block 1004, acable may be connected to each port on the switch system 300 and therespective server device located adjacent that port. For example, withreference to FIGS. 12A and 12B, a cable 1200 a is illustrated asconnected to the port 310 a on the switch system 300 and the serverdevice 1102 a located adjacent the port 310 a, a cable 1200 b isillustrated as connected to the port 310 b on the switch system 300 andthe server device 1102 b located adjacent the port 310 b, a cable 1200 cis illustrated as connected to the port 310 c on the switch system 300and the server device 1102 c located adjacent the port 310 c, a cable1200 d is illustrated as connected to the port 310 d on the switchsystem 300 and the server device 1102 d located adjacent the port 310 d,a cable 1200 e is illustrated as connected to the port 310 e on theswitch system 300 and the server device 1102 e located adjacent the port310 e, a cable 1200 f is illustrated as connected to the port 310 f onthe switch system 300 and the server device 1102 f located adjacent theport 310 f, a cable 1200 g is illustrated as connected to the port 310 gon the switch system 300 and the server device 1102 g located adjacentthe port 310 g, a cable 1200 h is illustrated as connected to the port310 h on the switch system 300 and the server device 1102 h locatedadjacent the port 310 h, a cable 1200 i is illustrated as connected tothe port 310 i on the switch system 300 and the server device 1102 ilocated adjacent the port 310 i, a cable 1200 j is illustrated asconnected to the port 310 j on the switch system 300 and the serverdevice 1102 j located adjacent the port 310 j, a cable 1200 k isillustrated as connected to the port 310 k on the switch system 300 andthe server device 1102 k located adjacent the port 310 k, a cable 1200 lis illustrated as connected to the port 310 l on the switch system 300and the server device 1102 l located adjacent the port 310 l, a cable1200 m is illustrated as connected to the port 310 m on the switchsystem 300 and the server device 1102 m located adjacent the port 310 m,and a cable 1200 n is illustrated as connected to the port 310 n on theswitch system 300 and the server device 1102 n located adjacent the port310 n

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art in possession of thepresent disclosure, embodiments of the rack switch coupling system ofthe present disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12Ballows for the coupling of the server devices 1102 a-1102 n to theswitch system 300 via a plurality of relatively short, equal lengthcables 1200 a-1200 n that do not need to be routed along the height ofthe rack 1100 to the switch system 300, or bundled together as part oftheir routing to the switch system 300. As such, one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure will appreciate that the airflowissues, server device addition/removal issues from the rack, serverdevice/switch system connection tracing issues, and/or other issuesassociated with conventional rack switch coupling systems are reducedand/or substantially eliminated.

The method 1000 then proceeds to block 1006 where data is transmittedvia each respective cable. In an embodiment, at block 1006, theprocessing system 304 in the switch system 300 may operate to transmitdata via the cables 1200 a-1200 n with the respective server devices1102 a-1102 n while performing any of a variety of conventionalswitching operations that would be apparent to one of skill in the artin possession of the present disclosure. As such, the switch system 300may utilize the components of the switch system 700 discussed above toreceive optical signals from a server device, transmit those opticalsignals via an optical waveguide, convert the optical signals toelectrical signals, and process those electrical signals as part of thedata transmission operations at block 1006. Similarly, the switch system300 may utilize the components of the switch system 800 discussed aboveto receive electrical signals from a server device, convert thoseelectrical signals to optical signals, transmit those optical signalsvia an optical waveguide, convert the optical signals to electricalsignals, and process those electrical signals as part of the datatransmission operations at block 1006. Similarly as well, the switchsystem 300 may utilize the components of the switch system 900 discussedabove to receive electrical signals from a transceiver that convertedoptical signals from a server device to produce those electricalsignals, convert those electrical signals back to optical signals,transmit those optical signals via an optical waveguide, convert theoptical signals to electrical signals, and process those electricalsignals as part of the data transmission operations at block 1006.However, while a few specific examples have been provided, one of skillin the art in possession of the present disclosure will appreciate thatthe data transmission performed at block 1006 may include a variety ofother operations that will fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure as well.

Thus, systems and methods have been described that provide a switchsystem that extends at least partially along the height of a rack, withports on that switch system located adjacent each computing device inthat rack, allowing for cabling that eliminates the need for anysubstantial cable routing of the cables between those computing devicesand ports and the issues associated with such cable routing. Forexample, a switch system positioned in a rack may include respectiveports cabled to each of a plurality of computing devices in the rack,with each of the respective ports located adjacent the computing deviceto which it is cabled and between first and second planes correspondingto top and bottom surfaces of that computing device. As will beappreciated by one of skill in the art in possession of the presentdisclosure, the switch system of the present disclosure frees up spacein racks for housing computing devices that has traditionally beutilized for housing switch devices, allows for more cost efficient andeasier to install cabling, reduces the amount of time need to add/removecabling, provides for easier tracing and troubleshooting of cabledports, reduces the blockage of airflow in the rack introduced byconventional cable routing techniques, reduces the blocking of devicestatus indicators/LEDs introduced by conventional cable routingtechniques, reduces the blocking of text on devices that is introducedby conventional cable routing techniques, minimizes cabling mistakes(e.g., the connection of a cable to or removal of a cable from the wrongport), reduces or eliminates the need for cable managementsystems/hardware, provides for a neater/more organized rack appearance,may be optimized for storing the cables utilized in the rack, narrowsthe variation in cable lengths utilized with the rack to reducecomplexity in cable ordering, and/or provides a variety of otherbenefits that would be apparent to one of skill in the art in possessionof the present disclosure.

Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a widerange of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of theembodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims beconstrued broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of theembodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rack switch coupling system, comprising: arack; a plurality of computing devices that are positioned in the rackin a stacked orientation, wherein each of the plurality of computingdevices includes: a top surface that corresponds with a first planeassociated with that computing device; and a bottom surface that islocated opposite the top surface and that corresponds with a secondplane associated with that computing device; and a switch system that ispositioned in the rack and that includes: a single chassis that extendsalong a height of the rack; and respective ports that are included on awall of the single chassis that extends along the height of the rack,wherein each respective port is respectively cabled to a respectivecomputing device included in the plurality of computing devices via arespective cable that is configured to be connected or disconnected fromthat respective computing device and that respective port on the wall ofthe single chassis without repositioning that respective computingdevice or the switch system, and wherein each of the respective ports islocated adjacent the computing device to which it is cabled and betweenthe first plane and the second plane associated with that respectivecomputing device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch systemincludes: an optical signal transmission coupling that extends between afirst port on the switch system that is coupled to a first computingdevice and a processing system included in the switch system, and thatis configured to transmit signals between the first computing devicecoupled to the first port and the processing system.
 3. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the processing system is configured to receive anoptical signal transmitted via the optical signal transmission couplingand process the optical signal.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein theswitch system includes: an optical-to-electrical converter that isprovided between the optical signal transmission coupling and theprocessing system and that is configured to convert an optical signaltransmitted via the optical transmission coupling to an electricalsignal and provide the electrical signal to the processing system, andwherein the processing system is configured to process the electricalsignal.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the switch system includes: anelectrical-to-optical converter that is provided between the firstcomputing device and the optical signal transmission coupling and thatis configured to convert an electrical signal transmitted by the firstcomputing device to an optical signal and provide the optical signal tothe optical signal transmission coupling.
 6. An Information HandlingSystem (IHS), comprising: a single chassis that is configured to extendalong a height of a rack when the single chassis is positioned in therack; a processing system that is located in the single chassis; amemory system that is located in the single chassis, coupled to theprocessing system, and that includes instructions that, when executed bythe processing system, cause the processing system to perform switchingoperations; and a communication system that is located in the singlechassis, coupled to the processing system, and that includes a pluralityof ports, wherein the single chassis is configured to be positioned inthe rack including a plurality of computing devices in a stackedorientation such that each of the plurality of ports is: located on awall of the single chassis that extends along the height of the rack,positioned adjacent a respective computing device included the pluralityof computing devices and between a first plane corresponding to a topsurface of that respective computing device and a second planecorresponding to a bottom surface of that respective computing devicethat is opposite the top surface, and provided spaced apart from thatrespective computing device to allow a respective cable to be connectedto or disconnected from that port without repositioning that respectivecomputing device or the single chassis.
 7. The IHS of claim 6, furthercomprising: an optical signal transmission coupling that is located inthe single chassis and extends between a first port included in theplurality of ports that is coupled to a first computing device and theprocessing system, and that is configured to transmit signals betweenthe first computing device coupled to the first port and the processingsystem.
 8. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the processing system isconfigured to receive an optical signal transmitted via the opticalsignal transmission coupling and process the optical signal.
 9. The IHSof claim 7, further comprising: an optical-to-electrical converter thatis included in the single chassis, provided between the optical signaltransmission coupling and the processing system, and configured toconvert an optical signal transmitted via the optical transmissioncoupling to an electrical signal and provide the electrical signal tothe processing system, and wherein the processing system is configuredto process the electrical signal.
 10. The IHS of claim 7, furthercomprising: an electrical-to-optical converter that is coupled to thefirst port and that is configured to convert an electrical signaltransmitted by the first computing device to an optical signal andprovide the optical signal to the optical signal transmission coupling.11. The IHS of claim 6, wherein the processing system includes at leasttwo Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) that are providedin the single chassis and spaced apart from each other by a distanceequal to at least one-third a height of the chassis.
 12. A method forcoupling a switch device in a rack, comprising: providing a switchsystem in a rack including a plurality of computing devices in acomputing device stacked orientation, wherein the switch system includesa single chassis having a plurality of ports in a port stackedorientation such that, with the switch system provided in the rack, eachport is located on a wall of the single chassis that extends along theheight of the rack, adjacent a respective computing device, between afirst plane corresponding to a top surface of that respective computingdevice and a second plane corresponding to a bottom surface of thatrespective computing device that is opposite the top surface, and spacedapart from that respective computing device, and wherein the singlechassis extends along a height of the rack when the switch system isprovided in the rack; connecting a respective cable to each port and therespective computing device located adjacent that port withoutrepositioning the switch system or that respective computing device;transmitting data via each of the respective cables; and disconnectingone of the respective cables from a port that is included in theplurality port and its respective computing device while the otherrespective cables remain connected to other ports that are included inthe plurality of ports and their respective computing device and withoutpositioning the switch system or the respective computing devices. 13.The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting, by an opticalsignal transmission coupling that is located in the switch system andthat extends between a first port included in the plurality of portsthat is coupled to a first computing device and a processing systemincluded in the switch system, signals between the first computingdevice coupled to the first port and the processing system.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, by the processingsystem, an optical signal transmitted via the optical signaltransmission coupling; and processing, by the processing system, theoptical signal.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:converting, by at least one optical-to-electrical converter that isincluded in the switch system and provided between the optical signaltransmission coupling and the processing system, an optical signaltransmitted via the optical transmission coupling to an electricalsignal; providing, by the optical-to-electrical converter, theelectrical signal to the processing system, and processing, by theprocessing system, the electrical signal.
 16. The method of claim 13,further comprising: converting, by an electrical-to-optical converterthat is coupled to the first port, an electrical signal transmitted bythe first computing device to an optical signal; and providing, by theelectrical-to-optical converter, the optical signal to the opticalsignal transmission coupling.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein theprocessing system includes at least two Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs) that are provided in the switch device and spaced apartfrom each other by a distance equal to at least one-third a height ofthe switch system.